buckslayer

It's not worth the effort to try to build your own. Spend the $ and buy one from Dayooper. You will not be disappointed. You will see all kinds of makeshift homemade beds that use paper bags, coffee filters, etc... Yoopers beds are made with solid interchangable cups with lids that utilize a very expensive material for the cup bottoms that is made for fluid bed applications to allow even distribution of the airflow, not coffee filters or paper. I know how much the stuff costs and I know he is not making much $ for the price at which he sells them. See posts in this forum from people that have purchased them. I have one that I use all the time.

Hey all - I am making jigs for someone that wants a better quality hook than an Eagle Claw 570. I have not had very good luck using anything other than the recommended hooks for the particular mold. Can anyone tell me what the same hooks (model and size) would be for Gammy, Matzuo, VMC, and Mustad? I need the the equivalent hook for a size 2 and a size 4. Thanks in advance!

Most powder paints don't need a base coat, which is one of the reasons it is so appealing, as well as the no odor, no mess. I never use a base coat with the pro-tec brand. You don't need to. If you do use a base coat, do all coats at the same time. In other words, heat your jig, dip it in the white, use the heat gun to even the paint out, and then dip it in whatever color you want. You could do it in separate steps, but reheating the jig with the heat gun can cause the first coat to burn if you are not careful.

I have found that some powder paint brands don't work as well as others. Thay is why we only use Pro-Tec powder paint. Of all of the pro-tec colors I have only had issues with White Pearl. It is just a very dense paint. It still works but I make sure to manually stir it from time to time just to be sure. I don't want to list the other brands that don't work as well because I don't like to post negative remarks about other products.

TJ's Tackle http://www.tjstackle.com (under powder paint) has Pro-tec Glitter paint, which is pre-mixed, as well as just the MetalFlake Glitter that you can mix with the clear for your desired ratio. There are 10 or 12 different colors. I think the best way to do it is buy the clear powder paint and glitter separately and keep adding glitter until you get the desired look. Use this mixture as a top coat and make sure you shake it up really well. If you are using the candy colors I have had good luck with mixing the glitter directly with the paint, but if you use anything other than candy colors it doesn't mix well. The paint will absorb the glitter and you lose the affect. If you use it as a top coat it won't. The clear also gives a nice glossy finish.

Be careful... some of the cheap paints are very hard to work with and go on very thick. I don't want to mention brands. I only use Pro-tec because it is very easy to work with. Yes you can buy directly from CSI but you have to have a retail license to do so. The $13 is true but misleading because it is only for the Standard colors. Flourescent is $18 and Glows are $20 a lb. TJ's Tackle www.tjstackle.com has 1, 2, and 4 oz. jars as well as 1 lb. Jars of all colors that Pro-Tec offers.

Flux every time you add new lead or if the lead is not filling in the mold cavity completely. I just use parafin wax. I have a 10 lb melting pot and add a PEA sized chunk each time I add new lead to it (I usually add about 5 lbs each time I add). Let the lead get good and hot, add the wax, wait for it to stop flaming, and then stir it up really well and skim it. After talking with a rep from LEE the biggest advantage is that it will help keep your pouring spout from clogging (assuming a bottom-pouring pot).

I would definitely get your pot checked. I have a 10 lb. and a 20 lb. and it only takes 15 -20 minutes before it's ready to use. The directions say to turn it to high when you first turn it on and then back it down to a temp that works well for you. I typically turn it to about 7 1/2 or 8 once it is heated up and fluxed.

Absolutely not. You are correct that the curing process helps it. Curing creates an extremely durable finish and I highly recommend curing all powder painted items. The durability difference is tremendous. I do a demo at fishing shows where I paint a jig, cool it in water, and cure it. I then take a cured lead jig and throw it (not drop it) on the cement floor to demonstrate the durability. The jigs will dent, but the paint does not chip. If you try the same thing with a jig that is not cured, the paint will spider crack and/or chip.

I didn't realize that there are so many ways to bust out the eyes... I think the easiest way is not to plug the eyes in the first place. If you are plugging the eyes you are using too much (and thus wasting) paint. Obviously this takes quite a bit of practice. A fluid bed will also help. If you do any kind of volume at all, I highly recommend a fluid bed. If I do plug my eyes, I just use an eye-buster. Cheap little $2.00 tool you can buy at any tackle place. If you don't have one, someone else stated earlier to heat the jig, cool it immediately in water, and then scrape the eyes out. You can use a utility knife to scrape the eyes out. Just stick the point in the eye and twist.